Nescafe Sunrise Instafilter

Capturing the South Indian Coffee Ritual

2017

Industrial Design

About

Nestle wanted to increase awareness of their Nescafe Sunrise Insta-filter variety of instant coffee. Primarily marketed to South Indian customers, Insta-filter promises the taste of traditional filter coffee, with the convenience of instant coffee.

The goal was to create a range of point-of-sale solutions that would stand out from regular instant coffee packs on a supermarket shelf, by incorporating cues of the coffee making ritual.

Design Process

Coffee is taken seriously in South India. Most drinkers have a strong preference for freshly ground filter coffee, and a healthy skepticism of the instant variety. The coffee is made in steel filters, brewed into a concentrated decoction, and served in steel tumblers: a ritual with its own tools, its own rhythm, and its own cultural weight.

The challenge was to bridge that world and the supermarket shelf. The typical South Indian supermarket tends to have narrow aisles and crowded shelves, with Insta-Filter sitting alongside regular instant coffees with little to distinguish it. The only way to stand out was to bring the ritual into the retail environment; through material, texture, and form that a customer would immediately recognize.

Design Routes

All four concepts use brass as the primary material or surface treatment. Brass is a familiar presence in South Indian homes, used in vessels, utensils, and everyday objects, and brings warmth and cultural resonance that generic instant coffee packaging doesn't. It also works well with Nescafe Sunrise's existing red and gold packaging.

Sachet Dispenser: A simple sachet dispenser inspired by the form of a traditional coffee filter.

Tin Dispenser: A tin dispenser with a surface treatment inspired by brass trunks, a common fixture in South Indian homes.

Tin Stand: A smaller counter-top stand designed for checkout areas as an impulse purchase display.

Shelf Units: Full-height sachet and tin dispensers intended to anchor a dedicated section of the shelf. The surface pattern references the coffee bean dispensers found in specialty coffee shops, bringing a sense of craft and quality to an instant coffee fixture.